No, this oil tanker didn’t carry Russian diesel to the United States
Summary
President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel fuel into the United States. However, claims that a Russian oil tanker called the Minerva Zen was already carrying Russian diesel to the U.S. are false; the ship was actually transporting fertilizer.Key Facts
- President Trump announced on October 9, 2026, a deal to import millions of tons of Russian diesel fuel.
- A pro-Russian social media account claimed the Minerva Zen tanker was delivering diesel to the U.S.
- The Minerva Zen left Saint Petersburg on September 23 and arrived in Wilmington, North Carolina, in October.
- Tracking experts confirmed the ship was carrying urea ammonium nitrate (fertilizer), not diesel.
- U.S. sanctions ban Russian oil imports but allow imports of fertilizer.
- The Minerva Zen unloaded its cargo at a fertilizer terminal, not an oil terminal, in Wilmington.
- Russian fertilizer was previously imported to Wilmington in June 2026, also to Eurochem North America.
- The false claim about diesel delivery spread widely on social media and some media outlets.
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